Guides

How Australian skilled migration actually works

Short, honest explainers on the points test, the SkillSelect queue, and the visa streams, written by the team behind SortedOut. We say plainly what the public data can show and what it cannot. Last updated 29 June 2026.

How the EOI queue and date of effect workWhat an Expression of Interest actually is, why your date of effect decides your place in line, and how SkillSelect picks who gets invited each round.189 vs 190 vs 491: which path and how many pointsThe three skilled visa streams compared in plain terms: who each suits, how state nomination and regional points change the maths, and how to choose.How we model your wait (and what the data can and cannot say)An honest look at our method: we read the submitted queue depth and trend, and we do not trust the redacted per-round invitation cut-offs.Stuck in the EOI pool: what to actually doPractical, points-first moves when your Expression of Interest has been sitting for months, from raising your score to widening your visa options.